Pneumococcal Disease

by CDC

What is pneumococcal disease? Pneumococcal disease are infections caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. The most common types of infections caused by this bacteria include middle ear infections, pneumonia, blood stream infections (bacteremia), sinus infections, and meningitis.

What is pneumococcal disease?

Pneumococcal disease are infections caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as pneumococcus. The most common types of infections caused by this bacteria include middle ear infections, pneumonia, blood stream infections (bacteremia), sinus infections, and meningitis.

Which children are most likely to get pneumococcal disease?

Young children are much more likely than older children and adults to get pneumococcal disease. Children under 2, children in group child care, and children who have certain illnesses (for example sickle cell disease, HIV infection, chronic heart or lung conditions) are at higher risk than other children to get pneumococcal disease. In addition, pneumococcal disease is more common among children of certain racial or ethnic groups, such as Alaska Natives, Native Americans, and African-Americans, than among other groups.

How prevalent is pneumococcal disease?

Each year in the US Streptococcus pneumoniae causes approximately 700 cases of meningitis, 17,000 cases of bacteremia or other invasive disease in children under the age of 5. Children under 2 average more than 1 middle ear infection each year, many of which are caused by pneumococcal infections. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of bacteremia, pneumonia, meningitis and otitis media in young children.

Who is at most serious risk?

Children at increased risk of pneumococcal infections include those with anatomic or functional asplenia ( including sickle cell disease), patients taking immunosuppressive chemotherapy, those with congenital and acquired immune deficiency (including HIV infections), those with chronic renal disease and heathy Native American, Alaskan Native, and African American children. Children less than 60 months of age in out of home care are at 2-3 fold higher risk of experiencing invasive pneumococcal infections than children in home.

What are the symptoms of pneumococcal disease?

Meningitis:High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. In newborns and small infants, the classic symptoms of fever, headache, and neck stiffness may be absent or difficult to detect, and the infant may only appear slow or inactive, or be irritable, have vomiting, or be feeding poorly.

Pneumonia: In adults, pneumococcal pneumonia is often characterized by sudden onset of illness with symptoms including shaking chills, fever, shortness of breath or rapid breathing, pain in the chest that is worsened by breathing deeply, and a productive cough. In infants and young children, signs and symptoms may not be specific, and may include fever, cough, rapid breathing or grunting.

Otitis media: Children who have otitis media (middle ear infection) typically have a painful ear, and the eardrum is often red and swollen. Other symptoms that may accompany otitis media include sleeplessness, fever and irritability.

Blood stream infections: Infants and young children with blood stream infections-also known as bacteremia-typically have non-specific symptoms including fevers and irritability.

About the Author

www.cdc.gov
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13 major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to help themselves.